Leadership Secret # 222: Palms Down vs. Palms Up

The above photo of Angela Merkel is an obvious and major faux pas.  No leader, especially a national leader and particularly the leader of the German people should use this palm down, arm extended gesture.  The obvious images of Adolf Hitler it conjures up, creates an immediate and visceral fear response in nearly all who see it.  This aside, palms down gestures universally generate negative, patronizing and condescending feelings in the audience and all others who see the image.  Leaders are well advised to use the palms up gestures instead.  The palms up gesture spread feelings of openness, fostering and supportive attitudes while still being authoritative and conveying strong leadership.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Leadership Secret # 112: Pakistan Trumps Iran

Here Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zandari holds hands with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran, Iran where there is a summit on fighting Terrorism.  While public displays of affection between people of opposite sex is taboo in many parts of the Middle East, even between married couples - people of the same gender holding hands is considered normal display of friendship without romantic implications.

Interestingly, the dominance rule of hand-holding still applies as it does with romantic couples.  Asif Ali Zandari's hand is in front - thus he is the dominant or "Alpha" and Ahmadinejad's is in back - acquiescing to the less-dominant, beta role.  This tells us that Pakistan has something(s) that Iran wants.

Another interesting "tell" is Zandari's left hand is on the right side of his chest. When one's hand is over their heart - which is, of course, on the left side of the chest - there is a much higher correlation with True sincerity. There is a significantly increased likelihood that Zandari is less than completely sincere at the moment of this photo. He may indeed be a sincere person in general, but at the moment of this photograph he was most probably "forcing" or "acting" sincere. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________